Do you have a “soul place?” I’ve seen “Soul Place” defined as “a special location where one feels a profound sense of connection, belonging, and inner peace, providing a spiritual rejuvenation that can aid in self-discovery and personal growth.” I don’t remember whose quote that is (perhaps AI, I suppose), but I have several places like this around the world. Places that I try to get back to whenever possible, and where I can never be too often.
Lake Dillon in Summit County, Colorado, is one of mine. Technically it’s a manmade reservoir – it supplies drinking water to Denver. But a National Forest Service staff member once told me that it still qualifies as an alpine lake due to several factors. But we do art not science in this journal, so I won’t go into that.
I used to visit here with my parents as a child and teen: summers to hike and bike, winter to ski. Then in college, I would stay with friends here to ski at nearby Breckenridge, Keystone, and Copper Mountain. And then, with my own family after that. For some years I didn’t visit, but I have luckily been able to be here frequently the past few years, including several times this past year. For me, the view from the town of Dillon – looking across the lake toward the Tenmile range off to the west and south – is one of my favorite views anywhere. It just never gets old for me.
When I’m in Dillon, I walk the shoreline of the lake as often as possible. I virtually always have a camera and tripod along for the walk, taking in the atmosphere. The mountain light combined with high elevation. Clouds settled low over the terrain. A distant squall moving through a mountain pass. Each of these lead to many beautiful views that change frequently.
So here are a few favorite images I’ve made of Lake Dillon during several trips there over the past twelve months. Of course they’re landscape photographs, but I rather prefer to consider them portraits. Portraits of a lake.
Let’s start with sunrise. These two images were within about three minutes of each other. The first, a lovely pre-dawn glow. The second, the brief moment when the sun first hit Tenmile Pass.
Of course, a good photographer doesn’t just look ahead, correct? Off to my right/north, Buffalo Mountain was also enjoying its morning.
When I’m in the area, I frequently look for slightly different angles or views here. It never gets old, even though I’ve made hundreds of images over dozens of trip here over the years. A few favorites from the past year.
And I guess since we started with sunrise, it’s appropriate – if cliché – to end with some sunsets.
